Checking In
by allygationz
Summary: AU - Future Fic - Wendy visits her grown up daughter in India. Wendy/Hodges


Wendy suppressed a sigh of relief; soon the flight would be over, she will have arrived and she would be able to stretch her legs and call her husband but, more than that, she would be seeing her daughter for the first time in seven months. Starla had always been a bright child, and she'd grown up to go into law enforcement, but it had been the mugging death of her twin brother, Odd, which had been the catalyst for her decision to move to India. At first, it had been David's suggestion that she fly over to visit their daughter, she'd been hesitant about invading her personal space that way when she'd been rejecting all of their calls, but David had insisted that she would not find it too imposing if her mother was to fly over to visit her in person and try to offer some support, so Wendy had arranged to take some time off work and it had been decided. She'd wanted David to come along, also, of course, but he'd suggested that they not overdo it, that they not make it look like they'd come to drag her home by hook or by crook; in the end, Wendy had folded and agreed.

The plane had just landed and Wendy stood up, finally regaining her feet after several long hours of travelling at altitude. A surge of anticipation ran through her as she imagined what her daughter would look like and how big her grandson, little Oleg, will have gotten; she could hardly wait to envelope her daughter and grandson in a big, warm hug. Her legs, it seemed, were also happy about the flight ending. She looked forward to leaving the plane and breathing fresh air again.

She slipped into the aisle closest to her seat and began to move forward with the rest of the passengers. It wouldn't be long, she promised herself, and it was amazing how much she missed her husband now that she wasn't with him and, when she wasn't with her daughter and grandson, how much she missed them, too. It was like she couldn't win, she thought, but she had to let her girl grow up and find her own way in the world, she supposed. Support her when she needed it, or asked for it, but still understand that there were times when the best course of action was not to make too much of a big fuss, when the best course of action was to lay low.

Once she was out of the plane, she found herself soon in the airport proper and, to her immense and almost overwhelming happiness, there was her baby girl and three-year-old grandson, both looking as gorgeous as she could remember and her daughter with a new haircut. Wendy immediately picked up her pace so that she could join her loved ones sooner, and noticed, as she drew closer, that Starla had company. Wendy's first reaction was to think that she'd brought a friend along, the man was quite a many years senior in age to Starla, though she supposed, had he not worn a ring, there would have been nothing wrong with a romantic relationship between the two.

When she reached her daughter, the customary words were exchanged and Wendy bent down to pick up little Oleg, who, she had to confess, was getting quite big. Starla hadn't allowed her much time for cuddles, it had only been brief, and then she'd been explaining that the man was her partner, Freddy. Wendy knew that her daughter worked for the C.I.D., but she hadn't known any more than that. She hoped she'd be able to find out much more so that she'd have a lot of positive stories to bring back to David upon her return. She knew he worried as much as she did and, when there wasn't a thing she could do about it - which was most of the time, as it transpired - it really hurt her. David was her husband and her best friend, and when he hurt, she hurt, too. She loved him dearly and knew that he loved her just the same way, too.

Nodding at Starla's words, she made her way toward the baggage claiming area, and Freddy kindly offered to take those for her as she was carrying Oleg. Once they'd collected her things, Starla decided that they'd sit down and have a drink and a snack at one of the little cafes, which Wendy didn't argue with. It sounded like a lovely idea after the long trip, and she'd be able to call David afterward with more than just a clipped, _I've just got in, I haven't had the chance to find out anything yet, but I promise to call you back with more_.

She smiled at her daughter as she spoke and thought that she did look better; she looked like she was coping. She felt proud, and very, very happy. Having met Starla and seeing how well she was doing, she felt so much better about being away from David and in a foreign country, she felt so much better about the trip. She reminded herself to take lots of photos to have printed off back home to show to David and her friends and colleagues. It would be a relief for all of them to see Starla looking so well and doing as well as she was, and Oleg, too.

* * *

Disclaimer

_CSI: Crime Scene Investigation_ © Anthony E. Zuiker; Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Alliance Atlantis, CBS Productions, CBS Paramount Network Television, CBS Television Studios, and CBS.

_C.I.D._ © B. P. Singh, Pradeep Uppoor; Fireworks Production and Sony Entertainment Television.


End file.
